Hybrid vehicle emergency response classes coming to MCC

FLINT, Michigan -- They are shiny symbols showing off a commitment to new technology, "green cars" and glimmers of hope for the future of a choking domestic auto industry.

But officials such as Swartz Creek Fire Chief Brent Cole also see something else in hybrid-electric vehicles-- high voltage battery packs speeding down the roads.

And instead of debating eco-friendliness and whether hybrids can save American automakers, Cole is more worried about how to safely save someone who crashes in one of them.

His department is among several in Genesee County sending representatives to a novel, sign-of-the-times type of training at Mott Community College -- one that teaches first responders the ABCs of rescue scenarios involving hybrid-electric vehicles.

"There is getting to be more and more of those vehicles out on the road and we are not fully prepared to deal with some of those unusual situations, especially in a violent type of accident," Cole said. "It's kind of difficult to keep up with everything as technology has developed, especially with all the different types of hybrids out there."

MCC will offer at least four free, four-hour classes for first responders starting May 29 covering everything from identifying a hybrid vehicle to how to "de-power" one.

It's a new phenomenon sprouting throughout different states as hybrids' high tech features and growing popularity open up a new world when it comes to emergency situations.

Matt Roda, who will teach MCC's new class, said hybrids' battery packs store 200-300 volts and inverters inside can step that up to 500 volts.

Flint Journal extras
Mott Community College will offer free training on "handling rescue scenarios involving hybrid electric vehicles."
Four sections of the class are available:

• May 29: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• June 1: 5-9 p.m.

• June 2: 6-10 p.m.

• June 6: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Details: (810) 762-0589.

"That's way more than enough volts to kill somebody," said Roda, coordinator for MCC's automotive technology program. "These car companies have done a wonderful job of making these cars consumer safe and firefighter safe but there are still risks.

"The focus of the class is to teach them how to evacuate somebody without hurting themselves or the occupant."

Hybrid vehicles are kind of like the new kid at school who finally became popular, introduced in the United States in 1999 but becoming a bigger seller in recent years in the midst of roller coaster gas prices.

Surrounded by grim news, GM recently snagged positive headlines for its new Chevrolet Volt. The electric car placed GM on the forefront of future car technology even as the automaker faces a looming bankruptcy.

By 2012, Roda said, an estimated 5 million hybrids will be on the road compared to about 1 million now.

And many of their new features can be foreign to responders accustomed to regular cars.

Engines could simply be "idle" when it appears they are off. High voltage cables mean knowing the right place to cut during an extrication. Battery systems have to be disconnected.

"I think it's an exciting world that we're coming into with the technology in cars. It's just amazing what they're doing," Roda said. "On the firefighter side, it creates a potential risk they've never have to deal with before."

Roughly 65 people have so far signed up for the training, which is paid for through a federal grant. The free courses come just as MCC prepares to launch new hybrid classes this fall in its automotive technology program.